“Dude! You fucking fell down!” Aaron spit between waves of laughter.
“I totally fell down.” I laughed harder, replaying the memory in my mind. “I fucking fell down.”
“You fell down!” Jo called up from the floor, laughter shaking her body.
“You fell down, and you’re never going to live this down!” Tony pressed his head into his arms, and his shoulders lifted with each airy laugh.
When we were all gasping for air, our faces glistening with tears, I shook my head and did the walk of shame back to the scoring table. One by one our laughter trickled off, heavy sighs refilling the air the prolonged laughter stolen from our lungs.
“So, I guess there’s no way we can pretend that never happened and erase it from our brains?” I asked, giving them a sheepish smile.
“Not a chance.” Aaron chuckled then pointed to my ball in the gutter. “You gonna go get that?”
“I’m gonna throw another ball at it to knock them both in, then go back to pretending this never happened.”
“You do that, Matt.” Jo rose from the floor, her face still as red as a rose. “You forget all you want, because we won’t. And we’ll just keep reminding you. You know... that you fell down.”
Their laughter exploded again, and I couldn’t help but join them. While they continued mocking me, I tossed another ball in the gutter with enough force to send both balls slamming into the catch.
“I’m going again,” I said as I walked back.
“Oh yeah?” Tony said. “Is that like a rule we don’t know about? You fall on your ass and you get a freebie?”
“It was... my hamstring.” I grinned as I leaned down and rubbed the perfectly fine muscle. “Another cramp.”
“Bananas, man. I’m telling you. Bananas.” Aaron pointed the short wooden pencil at me. “I eat a banana every day. And you know what? No cramps.” He tapped the pencil on his head.
“I’ll pick some up this week,” I lied, then grabbed my ball as it came back down the return. This time I wasn’t going to embarrass myself in front of the girl I could still hear snickering. The girl I had intended to impress with my bowling skills before I landed on my ass. The girl who looked so damn good tonight I just wanted to...
Damn it! Just friends.
Narrowing my eyes as I pushed my frustration into my ball arm, I strode toward the lane, releasing my ball before I stepped over the line this time. It shot down the center of the lane, and when it hit the center pin, there was an explosion of sound as the pins went flying.
“Yes!” I shouted, pumping my fist at my side.
Vindicated.
Turning around, I pointed my index fingers at Jo. “It’s on.”
“Bring it, Sir Falls-a-Lot.”
When I arrived at her side, I checked her with a hip. “You know, I’m surprised you waited to find out if I was okay before you started laughing. I’m well aware that you think people falling down is the funniest thing on the planet.”
Her cheeks swelled while she smiled. “Because it is the funniest thing on the planet! I love it when people fall!”
“I know you do,” I said, smiling. “I’m glad I could entertain you.”
“You sure know how to brighten my night. Best friend ever.”
Ugh. There it was. That phrase. That word. Friend. I’d hated it when she called me that as a kid, gotten used to it as an adult, and now I wanted to erase it from the English language.
“All right, you two are tied for who goes first.” Tony gestured to Jo and me.
“Nah,” I answered. “Jo can go. Ladies first and all.”
Her brow rose as she crossed her arms. “If its ladies first, doesn’t that mean you’re up?”
Our smiles mirrored each other while we faced off. “Well, if you insist.” I curtsied and watched her smile grow.
There was nothing I wouldn’t do to see that smile on her face. Even if it meant spending the night flat on my ass just so she could watch me fall. And the more I stared at her, the more I realized that while there were lots of things I could do to make her smile, there was one thing I couldn’t do... not anymore. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t ignore the feelings for her that were anything but friendly.
Just like my attempt at knocking down those pins had landed me on my ass, my attempts at knocking down my feelings for Jo were headed in the same direction... with me flat on my ass and not a single pin on the ground.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
JO
The vision of Matt flying through the air and landing with a grunt last night invaded my mind again, and I chuckled while I punched another dinner order into the computer at JJ’s.
“What’s so funny?” Hanson asked as he reached over my head to grab a margarita glass.
“Nothing. Just my friend falling down on the lanes at the Sister Bay Bowl last night.” I chuckled again.
“I love when people fall down!” He grinned, and it caused my chuckle to explode into a full laugh.
“Me too! I can’t stop laughing!”
“I wasn’t even there and already... laughing,” he said as he joined me. “Nothing better than people eating it.”
“And this was a good one. He took one step on the lane, legs flew out from under him, at least a second of airtime before he crashed back down. It was amazing.”
Hanson tossed his head back and closed his eyes. “I can totally envision it, because I’ve seen other people do that on the lanes. Priceless.”
My laughter petered off while I tried to get composure. “I’m glad we can share in a love for people falling down.”
“Nothing better.” He chuckled again as he walked over to make another margarita.
With a smile that kept popping up each time the memory came back to me, I tried to focus on placing my order. But each time I pushed the buttons to select different dinner sides, the memory returned.
And then old memories joined that one. Memories of Matt, Jake, and I bowling back in high school. I remembered how cute I’d thought Matt had looked in his bowling shoes... not unlike my thoughts last night. How cute his ass had looked in those jeans... and once again the same thought I’d had last night. But as I walked back down memory lane, an unwelcome visitor invaded my memory.
Nikki.
Jake had invited her bowling with us one night, and even though he hadn’t seen it, I had. I’d seen the way she flirted with Matt, stolen looks that slid to him when Jake would look away. I’d hated her then, and not just because I didn’t trust her. I also hated her because every now and again, I’d see Matt get caught in her gaze. Like a fish in a net, he’d give up his struggle, and I’d see the desire flicker in his eyes. But before Jake could turn around, he’d shake it off and go back to ignoring her attempts.
Visions of him and Nikki tangled up together last year forced themselves into my mind, and I cringed while I tried to push them away. That was a vision I never wanted to imagine again. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised that Matt gave in to her seduction last year... she’d been at it since high school. And he’d been fighting his attraction to her for as many years.
His attraction to her. Not to me.
Maybe that was what had stung the most about his betrayal. That I’d been here the whole time. I was single, available, and not his best friend’s fiancé... and yet he’d still chosen her. As that realization hit home like a bowling ball smashing the center pin, I finally understood the depths of my anger and why I’d felt so hurt when he had done what he’d done.
He could have picked me.
But he didn’t. Instead he picked her, and at the expense of everyone around him.
While I shoveled ice into a glass, I tried to fight the anger seeping back into me. Anger I’d finally gotten control of since he forced himself back into my life. Anger I didn’t want anymore.
You’re just friends, Jo. And you’ve forgiven him.
Taking a deep breath and exhaling the tension the realization had driven into me, I closed my eyes for a beat a
nd forced all the hurt back out of me.
Matt was my friend. Always had been, always would be. And just friends.
“Hey, JoJo!” My sister called, and I turned to see her climbing into a stool.
“Hey, JennaJenna!” I taunted back.
She smacked her lips and I cringed. “You’ve been avoiding me. I’ve texted. I’ve called. Time to dish.”
She was right. When I’d gotten off the jet ski the day of the non-kiss, she’d been blowing up my phone asking me what the hell had happened. Demanding an update.
But I hadn’t known what to say. And I’d blown her off and stalled by answering “call you in a bit” and “Nothing happened. You need glasses.” But she’d kept on and I guess I shouldn’t be surprised she’d shown up here. She knew damn well I was trapped and couldn’t avoid her when I was stuck behind the bar.
“I’ve just been busy. Sorry!” I answered, hurrying around behind the bar to look too slammed to admit to my innermost feelings. The dinner crowd was picking up, and I hoped they would flood in soon, so I really was too busy to talk to her.
“Dish, sis. What the hell is going on with Matt? I definitely saw you two almost kiss. I do not need glasses.”
When I looked up, she pursed her lips and her eyebrows lifted in a challenge.
“Jenna. It was nothing. We fell down, we were a little stunned, and nothing is going on with Matt and I.”
“Mmmhmmm.” She crossed her arms.
“Jenna.” I stopped in front of her, placing my hands on the bar. “Nothing is going on. We’re just friends. Drop it.”
Hoping by convincing her I could convince myself, I waited for her submission.
With an eye roll, she unclamped her crossed arms. “Fine. Just friends. But—”
“No buts. Just friends.”
“Ugh. Fine!” She flung her arms up in defeat. “Can I at least get a marg?”
“That I can do.”
Giving gratitude for her immediate surrender, I took a deep breath. I’d convinced Jenna I had no feelings for Matt, and now just one non-believer remained.
Me.
I made Jenna her margarita and as I dropped it off, the doors opened, and the bar flooded with bodies.
Dinner rush.
Hanson and I jumped into action and slid into fifth gear while we took orders and made drinks. Jenna, always the outgoing one, made some new friends with the couple seated next to her and continued sipping on drinks as I raced around the bar.
While I struggled to keep my head out of the water, I reached into the beer cooler to grab a bottle, and when I looked up, Matt was sitting next to her.
“Matt!” I gasped and almost dropped the bottle. Luckily my nimble fingers regained control before it hit the ground.
“Hey, Jo,” he said with a smile.
Startled by his sudden appearance, I struggled for a second to respond. “Sorry. You just startled me. I didn’t see you come in.”
My gaze slid to Jenna’s, and I saw the knowing smirk lifting her red lips.
“Yeah. I needed something to eat, so I thought I’d come in here and grab a bite.”
“Yeah. Good, uh... good idea. I’ll grab you a menu.”
“No need. Pork Torta all the way! Best sandwich ever.”
“Good choice!” Hanson called as he raced past. “Pork Tortas all the way!”
“Got it. Yeah.” I stood there holding the beer, my mind still churning to catch up.
Why did he have to look so good? I stared at him for a few moments too long. When I realized I was gawking, I dropped my gaze down. Then I noticed the beer still in my hand, and realized I had no idea where it belonged.
I looked up from the bottle clutched tight in my hands and started scanning the bar hoping a familiar face would remind me who’d ordered it.
“Jo?” Jenna asked, shaking me back to my senses. “You okay?”
“Huh? Yeah.” My gaze darted to Matt for a second, and I felt heat rush into my cheeks.
Oh shit. That’s not good.
Aware of the feelings written across my face, I shot a look to Jenna. When our eyes met, I saw it... that look in her eye that confirmed I could deny it until my face turned blue, but she knew.
Her eyes narrowed as a smirk lifted one side of her lips.
Oh, yeah. She definitely knew.
Please don’t say anything, Jenna, I pleaded with my eyes.
It was bad enough Jenna knew the secret I’d been hiding, even from myself, but now I could only hope Matt hadn’t caught onto the reason I’d suddenly come undone.
Jenna and I locked in a silent standoff, and I pleaded with her again, a soft shake of my head begging for her silence.
“You okay, Jo?” Matt asked, glancing between the two of us.
“Yep.” I forced a smile, spinning on my heel to stalk down the bar with this beer hoping I remembered where it went before I got to the end. And hoping by the time I had to go back by Matt these feelings would be back under control... or at least they would be out of my freaking face. I swiped an ice cube from the bin as I hurried past and pressed it to my scalding cheek.
Matt
What the hell? Jo looked like she’d seen a ghost when she saw me sitting here.
“So,” Jenna said, and I turned to see her grinning at me. “How’s it going?”
“Um, good I guess. And you?”
“Good. Very good,” she answered, and trouble brewed in her eyes.
I furrowed my brow while she stared at me, her hand propped under her chin as her smile lifted one corner of her lips.
I’d known Jenna my whole life, and I knew that look. She’d worn the same one when she’d told Jo and I that monsters lived in our closet when we were six, causing us both to sleep with the lights on for months. She’d worn the same one when she’d told me I had permission to take the cake from Susie’s ninth birthday party... just before I’d gotten reamed out for trying to steal it.
Trouble. What was brewing in those amber eyes was nothing but trouble.
“What?” I asked, and she pursed her lips tighter.
“Nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing. It looks like something. And if I know you, it’s trouble. What?”
“Nothin’.” She grinned.
“Okay. You’re starting to freak me out.” I chuckled while Jo paced behind the bar, staring at her bottle of beer and searching the faces of the customers.
“Over here!” A man said, and I saw the recognition flash in her eyes while she hurried over to give it to him.
“So,” Jenna said, pulling my gaze off Jo.
“So.”
“So...” She smiled again, and I waited for more.
Jo appeared with a bottle of beer and held it in front of me. “Spotted Cow good?”
“Perfect. Thanks, Jo.”
“You got it.” She set it on the coaster but missed the edge and it almost toppled over.
“Oh shit!” She caught it and set it upright. The soft pink bloom in her cheeks deepened to crimson while she gave me an unnaturally shy smile before spinning and hurrying off.
“So...” Jenna said again, and I looked over to find her smile so wide she could have been the Cheshire Cat. Or from the looks of her, the cat that ate the canary at the very least.
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” I took a sip of my beer.
“No reason.”
“Jenna, I know you. You’re up to something. What the hell is it?”
“Nothing.” She kept grinning.
I heard glass shatter and then Jo’s curse words punctuating the din of the bar crowd. When I turned to look, she knelt on the rubber mat picking up the remnants of a margarita glass.
“Jo seems off tonight. I wonder what’s going on with her?” I asked.
“I wonder... What could be wrong with Jo tonight? What, what, what?” Jenna’s voice trailed off, and she placed a finger to her chin, tapping on it.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.�
�
“Jenna! What the fuck?” I laughed.
Tossing her hands up in the air she huffed. “Seriously? Are you legally blind?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ugh! I can’t take it anymore! You!”
“Me what?”
“YOU are what is wrong with her tonight, dumbass! She’s crazy about you!”
I choked on the sip of beer I’d just taken, almost spitting it out in her face, but I managed to gulp it down. “What?” I gasped.
Jenna tapped me on the forehead with each word. “Are. You. Stupid?”
“No. I’m not... what? What the hell do you mean she’s crazy about me?”
The bar spun around me while I tried to digest her words.
“Jo is in love with you. She’s been in love with you forever. And you’re in love with her. It’s like, HELLO!” She flicked me on the head. “Dumbass.”
Jo is in love with me?
Impossible.
“No way. Jo thinks of me as a friend. Only a friend.”
Jenna shook her head. “You really are as dense as a door. Jo pretends to think of you like a friend, the same way you pretend to think of her only as a friend.
Was it that obvious? My feelings for Jo weren’t a secret? Desperate to keep up the ruse I’d been playing for the better part of my life, I shook my head.
“No. We’re just friends, Jenna. You’re way off.”
Crossing her arms, she shook her head. “Nope. I’m not off. Not even a little. I’m dead freaking on.”
“Jo doesn’t like me like that, Jenna.”
With the roll of her eyes, she placed her hands on my shoulders. “Do you know what I do for a living?”
“Um, yeah. You’re a wedding planner.”
“Do you know what that means, Matt?”
“Um, that you plan weddings?”
Where is this going?
“It means that I spend every day, day in and day out, with couples who are in love. I know love. And I can determine with 100% accuracy which couples are going to make it and which ones will be having a date in divorce court based on one thing.”
The Other Room (Door Peninsula Passions Book 2) Page 12